The European Women’s Lobby project “Mobilising Young Women for Equality in Europe”

In July 1999, the EWL began a project called ” Mobilising Young Women for Equality in Europe” The overall objective of this project was to create awareness and facilitate debates among young women in the European Union about equality through an increased mobilization of young women in organised actions at national and European level.

The project was organised around a network of young co-ordinators in the 15 Member States of the European Union and a central coordination from the EWL Secretariat in Brussels.

Results so farEuropean and national seminars took place from November 1999 until June 2000. Theses meetings had several aims: discussing equality issues; awareness raising; establishing contacts.

The second European seminar brought together all national coordinators on 29 June – 1 July 2000, in Lisbon, Portugal, in concluding the seminar, the “Young Women’s Manifesto” was launched.

In Lisbon, the “Young Women’s European Network” was also inaugurated. It is a platform for discussion, and an access point of information on young women and equality in Europe. It also functions as a representation of young women’s opinions for decision makers and women’s organisations. Equally national networks of young women are being set up, or are already established in the EU Member States.

The Young Women’s Guide for Equality in Europe

Relationships between women and men, young women in education, employment, health, violence, the media, decision-making and European legislation on equality between women and men: these are the themes that young European women have chosen to analyse in the Young Women’s Guide. The aim is to highlight where progress has been made towards equality between women and men in Europe and to identify how the European Union can contribute to further progress.

This guide was designed by young women for young women, as a resource for raising awareness, to support lobbying actions in Europe Union and to facilitate debate in the Member States. The themes of this guide are by no means all encompassing; rather, they reflect a number of the key concerns of young women in the European Union.

For each theme, “The Facts” provides an overview of the situation of young women in Europe, “The Law” lists the main actions taken and European legislation on the subject and “Young Women’s Ideas” outlines the specific recommendations of young women for ongoing progress between women and men on each theme. This final section incorporates the opinions of many different young women, although of course it does not reflect the complete range of all young women’s opinions or the full diversity of women’s lives.

The project was partly funded by the European Commission under the 4th Action Programme on Equal Opportunities. The partners were the Portuguese Minister for Equality and the Portuguese as well as the Swedish EWL co-ordinations.